One of my favorite times on this trip so far has been the two-day adventure we all took to Umbria. Over these two days, we visited Perugia, Assisi, and Orvieto. While all three have unique features to offer, the most memorable for me was Orvieto. I love spending the night in new hotels and getting to share a room with two girls I had yet to travel with on the weekends was a good way to shake things up.

Walking around the small town that first night, it was easy to feel how the energy there was more alive than the other small towns. The face of the clock tower in the middle of the town illuminates the sky at night, looking like a full moon. We ran into some other American study abroad students in Orvieto. It was refreshing to talk to other people who can relate to what we are doing.

The next day, the group split in half to either attend the woodworking studio or the ceramics workshop. Since I am an Interior Design major, I went to woodworking. I was blown away as soon as I saw the entrances and benches surrounding the shops of Michelangeli, the woodworking brand we visited. One of the designers showed us around the stores and the studio. She described the process and how they have four designers heading up the brand. The custom furniture I got to see reminded me of the endless possibilities in this industry!

One of the masterpiece benches by Michelangeli

Ashton Bobo